Colonial Williamsburg author Mike Olmert discusses the significance and preservation of colonial-era outbuildings, which included structures such as kitchens, laundries, dairies, privies, smokehouses, offices, dovecotes, and icehouses. Olmert focuses on the window onto social norms and expectations and onto indentured and enslaved life that these structures reveal.

To listen to this feature, select "All 2009 podcasts," and scroll to the July 27th program.

Sharon Cotner, a medical historian at Colonial Williamsburg's Pasteur and Galt Apothecary, describes 18th-century medical practices, including basic operations, lacking in antiseptics, antibiotics, and anesthesia; battlefield surgery procedures; bloodletting; and understandings of infection at the time.

Discover more about the apothecary at Colonial Williamsburg by clicking here.

Dr. Scott Stephenson, director of collections and interpretation for the American Revolution Center at Valley Forge, discusses his discovery of 18th-century Native American beadwork in private ownership in Scotland. He talks about how difficult it is to find intact collections, with both the documentation of the pieces' origins and the pieces themselves together in one location.

Colonial Williamsburg's curator of zooarcheaology, Joanne Bowen, talks about how the bones left behind from kitchen waste can reveal information about the foodways of people from colonial days through the 19th century.

Colonial Williamsburg manager of museum education discusses the work behind a museum walking tour called "Migrating Cultures," which looks at artifacts brought to the British colonies by colonists or made by them in styles reminiscent of those in their countries of origin.

To discover more about the art on display at Colonial Williamsburg, peruse the The Colonial Williamsburg Art Museums website.

Colonial Williamsburg manager of African American programs, Tricia Brooks, discusses the primary sources used in exploring colonial viewpoints on slavery and race in Williamsburg programming.

Click here to discover more about the African-American colonial experience.

Patrick Henry's passion for his beliefs comes alive in Colonial Williamsburg's Richard Schumann's interpretation of the patriot's thoughts on the importance of religious faith in daily life.

To listen to this podcast, select "All 2009 podcasts," and scroll to the April 20th program.

Director of Educational Program Development Bill White describes Colonial Williamsburg's Electronic Field Trip program, the resources connected with it and the vision behind it, and how it may be used by educators. Colonial Williamsburg also offers a number of other resources for teachers.

The Governor's Palace is a Williamsburg icon. Chief Curator Emeritus Graham Hood discusses the work involved in reexamining the furnishing and decoration of its period rooms, to make them as historically accurate as possible.

Note: this podcast is no longer available. To view a transcript of the original podcast, click here.

The art of spying is as old as the art of war. Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Jay Templin talks about the techniques and deceptions employed during the American Revolution.

Check out this article by Ed Crews to discover more about espionage during the colonial era.